1. Field of the Invention
My present invention relates to the laundering and dry cleaning of garments, and more particularly to methods and devices for maintaining the anterior portions of the collars of shirts, blouses and the like in optimum configuration, closely resembling the configuration assumed when the same are worn, from the time of laundering or dry cleaning to the time of donning, such devices being sometimes hereinafter called "collar shapers" or "collar formers".
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different types of collar shapers or collar formers, as hereinabove defined, are known in the prior art.
By way of example, a commercially available collar shaper 10 of the prior art is shown in FIG. 1 hereof. Prior art collar shaper 10 consists of a single piece of paperboard die cut to the configuration shown in FIG. 10. The paperboard of the collar shaper of FIG. 10 is provided on its intended outer face with a white or blue-white coating. As seen in FIG. 1, collar shaper 10 comprises two projections or fingers 12, 14 and a central slot 16. As also seen in FIG. 1, prior art collar shaper 10 is installed by passing its fingers 12, 14 under the corresponding wings 18, 20 of the collar of the garment to which it is to be applied. The installation of collar shaper 10 is then completed by manually drawing the mutually confronting portions of the collar fully into slot 16. The prior art collar shaper of FIG. 1 suffers from the disadvantage that fully manually drawing the mutually confronting portions of the collar into slot 16 is a time-consuming operation, requiring the full attention and dexterous two-handed manipulation of the installer. This disadvantage is particularly crucial when, as in high-volume laundries, a large number of shirts or blouses must be processed every hour. Another disadvantage of the prior art collar shaper 10 of FIG. 1 lies in the fact that it does not maintain the collar in the abovesaid optimum configuration, but rather distorts the collar. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, prior art collar shaper 10 forces the mutually confronting portions of collar ends 18, 20 together along a common line 22. This is in contrast with the optimum configuration, i.e., the configuration normally assumed during wearing, and, since the collar remains thus distorted from the time of laundering or dry cleaning to the time of donning, it will be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art that the collars of certain shirts or blouses will have a tendency to remain in this distorted configuration after the garment is donned, particularly if the garment collar has been forced into this distorted shape after several launderings or dry cleanings.
A yet further disadvantage of the prior art collar shaper of FIG. 10 is that, since it lacks any means for maintaining it in position under the garment collar other than the frictional engagement of the collar within slot 16, and since slot 16 must be sufficiently wide so that the collar can be easily manually inserted thereinto, it (the prior art collar shaper of FIG. 10) is very easily dislodged from its operative position. In fact, actual specimens of this prior art device, after being carefully installed in certain shirts, can be dislodged merely by holding the shirt upright and briskly shaking it four or five times. As is well known to those having ordinary skill in the art, shirts are commonly subjected to much more vigorous shaking during transport by truck from the laundering plant to the retail dry cleaning outlet where the garment is to be returned to the customer. Thus, it will be evident to those having ordinary skill in the art that prior art collar shaper 10 is incapable of supporting additional weight, e.g., a plurality of discount coupons or advertising flyers.
Another prior art collar shaper 30 is shown in FIG. 2. The body 32 of prior art collar shaper 30 is configured as shown in FIG. 2. A highly malleable metal tongue 34 is affixed to body 32 of prior art collar shaper 30 by means of two punchings 36, 38 which are driven into body 32. Body 32 is cut from C1S (coated one-side) paperboard similar to the paperboard from which prior art collar shaper 10 of FIG. 1 is cut.
Prior art collar shaper 30 of FIG. 2 suffers from the disadvantage that the provision of highly malleable metal member 34 and its affixation to body 32 considerably increases the cost of production thereof as compared with the cost of production of devices which are die stamped or otherwise formed from paperboard and do not consist of an additional part or parts.
Yet further, prior art collar shaper 30 suffers from the disadvantage that the locking effect provided by highly malleable metal member 34 is by no means as strong as might be expected. That is to say, the malleability of the tongue 34 of an actual commercial specimen of prior art collar shaper 30 is sufficiently great so that very little tractive force is required to withdraw it from a garment collar. Further, the raised portion 36 is easily withdrawn from body 32, thus making it even easier to withdraw prior art collar shaper 30 from an associated garment collar.
A yet further disadvantage of prior art collar shaper 30 is the concern of the customer, if not the actual fact, that metal tongue 34 may cut or discolor the neck of, e.g., a delicate silk blouse.
A prior art collar shaper 40 is shown in FIG. 3, inserted under the mutually confronting portions 42, 44 of a garment collar. Prior art garment shaper 40 is comprised of a body 46 of paperboard similar to the paperboard from which prior art collar shapers 10, 30 are fabricated. As seen in FIG. 3, body 46 of prior art collar shaper 40 is substantially rectangular, except for the slot or inlet 47 in its upper edge. As is also seen in FIG. 3, body 46 of prior art collar shaper 40 is provided with two areas 48, 50 of adhesive, whereby the two upper portions of body 46 can be adhered to the inner faces of collar ends 42, 44, after being passed under collar ends 42, 44.
Prior art collar shaper 40 suffers from the disadvantage that adhesive layers 48, 50 can prematurely adhere to the inner faces of collar ends 42, 44, thus interfering with the passing of collar shaper 40 under the ends 42, 44 of the collar.
Prior art collar shaper 40 also suffers from the disadvantage that the tackiness or "tack" of adhesive layers 48, 50 must be maintained over a considerable storage or shelf life. The expedients for so doing, such as the provision of overlying protective sheets, can greatly add to the cost of what must necessarily be an inexpensive device, given the economics of the market therefor. The alternative of mutually adhering adjacent ones of packaged specimens of prior art collar shaper 40, in the manner of the now well known "POST-IT NOTES" involves extensive packaging steps, which also tend to raise the price of a device which, given the nature of the market, must sell at a very low price.
Yet further, the provision of adhesive layers 48, 50, in itself, involves relatively costly production steps, and thus tends to raise the production cost of an item which, by the nature of its market, must be extremely cheap.
Other prior art collar shapers are also provided with layers or patches of adhesive material. All of these prior art devices, however, confront the problem that if the adhesive is too tacky it is difficult to insert the device into the collar, and thus an amount of adhesive coating is generally selected which is insufficient to strongly maintain these collar shapers against withdrawal or dislodgement.
It is to be understood that the term "prior art" as used herein or in any statement made by or on behalf of applicant means only that any document or thing referred to as prior art bears, directly or inferentially, a date which is earlier than the effective filing date hereof.